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Hobcaw Barony meaning “between the waters” – a descriptive a massive hunting retreat. In 1930, he built

Hobcaw is a Native American word
Hobcaw House as it is today after the original
phrase for this slice of land bordered by the
house burned in 1929. This property has hosted
is Lowcountry Waccamaw River (aka Intracoastal Waterway), notable guests including Winston Churchill,
George Vanderbilt, Woodrow Wilson, Tom
Winyah Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. Native
Yawkey, Henry Luce, General George Marshall
American tribes had villages at Hobcaw and
and Jack London. The guest list continues, but
traded north and south with other tribes and
President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s secret vacation
later with colonial settlers.
GOLD and naval stores plantations were flourishing, in the summer of 1943 was arguably the most
Before the Civil War began, 14 rice, indigo,
famous Lowcountry vacation.
Baruch’s daughter, Belle, a sailor, pilot and
but in the War’s aftermath, the South’s
world-class equestrian, ultimately purchased
agricultural economy collapsed. Beautiful swaths
Her own story is fascinating. (Read Baroness
pennies on dollars. (Area natives call this the
By Kimberly Duncan of land were sold to wealthy Northerners for the Barony and made it her permanent home.
of Hobcaw.) At her death, The Belle W. Baruch
“second Yankee invasion.”)
Hobcaw Barony is among Georgetown County’s finest treasures. In the early 1900s, Hobcaw’s wild game Foundation was created to own and operate
Hobcaw Barony as a center for environmental
Located on the east side of Highway 17 a couple of miles north of and inexpensive price lured Bernard M. research and education.
the Siau bridges that connect Georgetown to the Waccamaw Neck, Baruch, native South Carolinian turned Wall Hobcaw Barony is comprised of barrier
Street millionaire, to purchase the collection
it delivers history, mystery and natural beauty in crazy abundance. of properties – roughly 17,000 acres – for islands, salt marsh, maritime and upland forests,
cypress swamps, freshwater ponds, tidal rice
fields and Carolina bays. Clemson and USC have
research facilities on the property. There are slave
cabins, a village church, a former schoolhouse,
Belle’s old airstrip and stables, the Hobcaw
House and Belle’s home, Bellefield. There are old
graveyards, other archaeological treasures, and
far too many stories to tell in short order.
Programs are diverse and the Barony’s
Visitor Center has fascinating exhibits, as
well as an addicting little gift shop. Visit
HobcawBarony.org for lots of detail!

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